What are the differences between Java 8 Streams and Collections?

What are the differences between Java 8 Streams and Collections?

Java 8 Streams provide a way to process sequences of elements in a functional style, while Collections are data structures that store elements. Streams are not data structures; they are views of data that can be processed in parallel or sequentially.

Can you give me an example of how to use Streams?

Sure! Here's a simple example: you can use Streams to filter a list of integers to find even numbers. For instance:

List<Integer> numbers = Arrays.asList(1, 2, 3, 4, 5);
List<Integer> evenNumbers = numbers.stream()
                                     .filter(n -> n % 2 == 0)
                                     .collect(Collectors.toList());

What are the advantages of using Streams over Collections?

Streams offer several advantages, such as:

1. Conciseness: They allow for more readable and concise code.
2. Lazy Evaluation: Operations on Streams are evaluated lazily, which can improve performance.
3. Parallel Processing: Streams can be processed in parallel with minimal effort, leveraging multi-core architectures.

Are there any performance considerations I should be aware of?

Yes, while Streams can improve performance in many cases, they may introduce overhead for small datasets due to the additional abstraction. It's essential to benchmark and choose the right approach based on your specific use case.